


The Trailhead: Brody's Story

by Aflimacon



Category: Life Is Strange 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Original Character(s), Prequel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:49:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23978497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aflimacon/pseuds/Aflimacon
Summary: Fear, faith, family, and friends influence the life of Brody Holloway as the high school senior looks towards getting out in the real world for the first time.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	1. Ordinary Joe

_“Well I’ve seen a sparrow get high,_

_Wasting time in the sky,_

_He thinks it’s easy to fly,_

_He’s just a little bit freer than I.”_

-Ordinary Joe, Nujabes and Terry Callier

The morning sun shone on Brody’s face as he woke up. He turned his head to look out the third story window to the giant pines in the backyard. The ancient trees framed by snow-capped mountains and a seemingly endless sky were a spectacular sight, but it was usually lost on Brody, who had slept in this room for as long as he could remember. This morning, though, something was different. Two magpies sat on the branch outside his window, chattering in their singsong voices. Brody cracked a slight smile as he watched them from his bed. He wondered what amazing places they had traveled to, and what Salt Lake City looked like from high up in the air. He thought to himself that maybe one day, he too could go to amazing places and see things from a beautiful new perspective.

Brody’s wistful train of thought was interrupted by Mom’s familiar voice. “Brody, breakfast is ready!” she called from downstairs. He jumped out of bed and pulled on some clothes before heading downstairs to the kitchen. His mother was no more than 5 foot 4, but still had a presence that filled any room she stepped into. Her brown hair was tied back in a bun without a single hair poking out, and her steely green eyes seemed to pierce Brody’s soul as she looked at him. “You wouldn’t want to be late for your first day of 12th grade, would you, son?” asked Mom as he sat down at the long wooden table. He shrugged, having barely thought about the fact that high school was almost over.

“Don’t get too much senioritis or you’ll end up with the homeless at Rio Grande!” his older brother Jackson teased.

“Jackson!” said Mom, instantly quieting his laughter. Jackson was tall and muscular, with spiky, bleached blonde hair. Though they had grown up together, Brody had never quite seen eye-to-eye with Jackson, and even now he flinched at the callous joke.

“I spoke to Bishop Andersen about your mission papers,” said Mom.

“Oh, oh yeah,” replied Brody, still terrified of the thought of spending two years away from home.

“Is something wrong? You sound apprehensive,” said Mom, looking at him intently.

Brody grimaced. He hated being put on the spot like this. “Well, I don’t know what to think, Mom. Everyone talks about it like it’s nothing, but it’s such a big commitment, and I’m not sure I really want to do it.”

Silence fell over the kitchen at that comment. Jackson looked confused; Mom looked at him intently. Scared? Angry? Brody could never tell with Mom. He knew she took her faith seriously, and wanted her two boys to feel it the same way. Jackson’s mission farewell was the proudest moment of her life, and it was obvious she wanted nothing more than to feel that again. Now, with Jackson running track on scholarship at BYU and serving as the Elder’s Quorum president for his student ward, Brody knew he was falling even further behind in his church-related expectations. He didn’t know what to do, so he pursed his lips and tried not to make eye contact.

Jackson finally broke the silence with an awkward joke. “Come on, Brody, it’s not that bad,” he said. “Think of all the weird stories you’ll be able to tell girls when you get back from your mission.” Brody groaned.

Mom rolled her eyes. “That’s all you have to say about the greatest spiritual experience of your life, Jackson? Is that all you got from spending two years preaching the Gospel in Argentina?”

“Ah come on, Mom, lighten up,” Jackson replied as he began digging into his breakfast yet again. Brody eyed his eggs and started eating. The situation was defused for now, but he knew Mom would force him to have an intense conversation about it later.

“Now, hurry up, you two, so Brody can get to school on time,” said Mom.

Brody quickly finished eating, got ready, and ran out the door to Jackson’s silver Toyota Tacoma.

As Jackson navigated the truck through narrow city streets, Brody saw kids of all ages heading back to school. The end of summer had never been fun, but this time he had the luxury of knowing he was almost done. The problem was that he really didn’t know what he was going to do. The prospect of a mission seemed very overwhelming to Brody. His school counselor was talking about applying to journalism schools based on his love of writing, but he didn’t know if he could take 4 more years of school. He had to think about all these things while also keeping his head above water in all his classes. Sometimes he wished he could just leave it all behind…

His thoughts of freedom were once again interrupted. “So, do you want to talk about what happened at breakfast?” said Jackson. Brody paused and looked away.

Jackson ignored his reaction and continued. “I know it all seems scary now, but let me tell you, I made the right choice.” Jackson looked off into the distance before talking again. “Everyone will be so proud of you, little bro. I promise it will be a life-changing experience.” Brody didn’t respond. He wasn’t sure he wanted his life changed that much yet. Finally, Jackson looked at him and got straight to the point. “I’m worried about you, Brody. We all want you to stay on the path, and we don’t want to ever see you in the news for the wrong reasons.”

Brody was stunned by Jackson’s frankness, but finally gathered the courage to respond. “I just want to know the decision I’m making is the right one for me.”

Finally, the truck pulled up to East High School, releasing Brody from this torturous conversation. “I’ll be praying for you,” Jackson yelled as he pulled away.

“Damn, you look down,” said Amna as Brody caught up with her. “Anything on your mind?” Brody smiled. Amna had a way of making him do that, even when he was in the worst moods. Their friendship was forged through years of drama, depression, and general adolescent angst. She had long black hair, today adorned with a flower, and an angular face with features as sharp as her mind. Though she had lived most of her life in America, her voice still had a slight twinge of “the old country,” from where her family had come as refugees and converted to Mormonism.

“Just family stuff,” Brody replied.

“Well, you know you can always tell me,” said Amna, slightly hurt that he hadn’t.

Their conversation was interrupted by a nasally voice behind them. “Holloway! Hasanovic! Are you two finally getting together?” Brody rolled his eyes at the sound of Jacob Pratt and the sight of his lanky frame. Just because their families were friends and business partners didn’t mean he ever wanted anything to do with their youngest.

“You know it’s not like that, Jacob!” said Amna as he came up behind them.

“Oh really? Brody never told me he was gay,” said Jacob, who then immediately burst out laughing at his own joke.

“I don’t think that’s funny, Jacob,” said Brody.

“Oh, sorry for being _politically incorrect_ ,” said Jacob, making air quotes with his fingers. “See you both in class!” Brody sure hoped he wouldn’t.

With Jacob gone for the time being, Brody looked back at Amna and frowned. “I’m just not sure about this whole mission thing. Everyone else seems so excited, and I don’t want to let them down, but I don’t know if it’s the right next step for me.”

Amna’s expression got more serious. “Brody, you know you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. Especially not with a big decision like that.”

Brody laughed. “Have you seen my parents?” he asked. “If I don’t make the ‘right’ decision, they’ll chase me down State Street with a crowbar!”

Amna chuckled. “Well, meet me at lunch,” she said. “I have a proposition for you.

**1971 Buick Estate Wagon**

**Runs, drives, good interior condition**

**Needs cat and engine mounts**

**$1500 or best offer**

Brody stared at the newspaper. “You sure about this?” he asked Amna, who laughed.

“Of course I’m sure!” she said. “We always talked about going out on the road together. I looked for an RV but the cheapest one I could find was over $10,000. This we could afford with your allowance.”

Brody cringed. He didn’t like being reminded about the fact that his family was rich, which naturally made it Amna’s preferred method of poking fun at him. “Stop it, you,” he said.

“Sorry, sorry,” said Amna, not sounding particularly sorry. “Seriously though, we can buy this if we pool our money together. We can fix it up at my place and drive out of here the day after graduation. We’ll make a website and we’ll be the traveling journalists we always dreamed about becoming in middle school!”

It had been a long time since Brody had thought about that particular fantasy, but he couldn’t deny that the idea had always sounded nice. “Do you know how to make these repairs?” he asked Amna.

She just laughed in response. “We’ll look it up on the Internet! It’s the 21st century!”

Brody chuckled. “Okay, okay, let’s buy this hunk of junk and get it ready for a long road trip. I’m on board. I’ve been thinking, and I’m pretty sure the missionary life is not for me.”

Amna grabbed his shoulder. “Brody, I’m so glad you agreed to do this with me,” she said. “But your parents can’t know, or I know they’ll put a stop to it.”

Brody grimaced. He knew she was right. If his parents caught wind of this, Amna would become a “bad influence,” and he’d never see her again. He nodded. “You’re right,” he said. “It will be our secret.”


	2. Love, Life, and Happiness

_“Love, life, and happiness,_

_All the things that you do best,_

_And I keep telling you, baby, you can keep the rest_

_Just give me the love, life, and happiness”_

-Love, Life & Happiness, Stealth

Brody’s parents were waiting for him at home. Just as he expected, they wanted to talk about what had happened earlier. Just as he expected, it did not go well.

“I just don’t understand, Brody!” said Dad. “When Jackson was your age, a mission was all he talked about outside of sports!” Brody’s father was the CEO of Holloway Logistics, a large trucking company headquartered in the Salt Lake Valley. He was known for running a tight ship, with little tolerance for deviation and even less tolerance for outside opinions. Of course, he ran his household using the same philosophies. He was tall and well-built, with a shiny bald head and a face that always looked like it was judging you a little. Today, it looked to Brody like it was judging him a lot.

“I’m not Jackson!” replied Brody, frustrated that he never seemed to measure up to his brother.

“Haven’t you talked before about wanting to travel?” asked Mom.

“Yeah, I don’t know,” said Brody lamely. It was true that he had expressed a desire to see new places and get out of the house in the past, but he was still unsure about his future. Even after agreeing to leave with Amna, he still wasn’t sure he actually had it in him to follow through on the plan. One thing he was becoming more certain of, though, was that an LDS mission wasn’t the way he wanted to experience the world. “I just can’t commit to spending two years in a far-off place and preaching to people right now. Like I told Jackson, I want to make the right decision for me.”

“The prophets called on every able young man to serve a mission,” said Dad, looking even angrier now. “This IS the right decision for you, and as your parents it’s our responsibility to make sure you stay on the correct path. Fortunately, you don’t just have to hear it from us. I’ve signed you up for Bishop Andersen’s mission prep classes at 2 PM every Sunday.”

 _“Great, another hour of church,”_ Brody thought sarcastically. He said nothing out loud, because he knew whatever he said would only make it worse.

“Sister Pratt tells me you were rude to Jacob this morning,” said Mom, not ready to let Brody go yet.

“What?!” exclaimed Brody. “He told a homophobic joke and I told him it wasn’t funny!”

“I don’t care what you thought of his joke!” said Dad. “You need to be nice to people. You especially need to be nice because I’m trying to negotiate a new contract with the Pratt Corporation and you antagonizing their son doesn’t help.”

“Is that all you care about? Your business deals?” said Brody, unable to hold back any longer.

“My business deals have done more for this family than whatever social justice cause you’re supporting today,” said Dad coldly.

Brody was still feeling tense the next day after school. Amna could tell.

“Is everything all right, Brody?” she asked.

Brody sighed. “My parents tried to talk me into a mission and it devolved into an argument.”

“I’m so sorry,” said Amna, frowning as she put a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s all right,” said Brody. “I just don’t understand why we can never see eye-to-eye. I’m not trying to make them mad, but it’s like my concerns don’t factor into the equation.”

“Yeah, I get that,” said Amna. “Just look on the bright side. This Friday you’ll take your first steps towards freedom!”

Brody had almost forgotten that was the day they had agreed to go pick up the Buick. The conversation ended when Amna’s father came to pick her up, but Brody was already looking forward to Friday. Putting any concerns about “Project Station Wagon” aside, at the moment it seemed far better than any alternatives.

The rest of the week was a slog. Brody had never cared much for school outside of creative writing, but he could tell this last year wasn’t going to let him off easy. Still, Friday eventually came, and he found himself walking with Amna to her father’s car.

“Your parents don’t know, right?” asked Amna.

Brody laughed. “They think we’re working on a school project. Hopefully that excuse continues to work,” he said.

Amna chuckled and asked, “Do you have your $750?” Brody showed her the envelope with the money and she nodded. “You know, if you had access to all your parents’ money, you could make some real changes in the world,” she remarked.

They didn’t have much time to think about that as they climbed into her father’s Ford Taurus and rode back to her house.

Amna’s dad always seemed to be smiling. He was a small man with a big personality. Though he had gone through more in life than any one person should, he always stayed positive, at least on the outside. “Don’t get in too much trouble while you’re away!” he called as he ran up to the house.

“Just coke and heroin, nothing bad!” yelled Amna in response, causing all three of them to laugh.

“I can’t believe you can say things like that to your dad,” said Brody. “My parents can be so uptight. Why do you even want to leave?”

Amna paused for a second and frowned. “I have my reasons, Brody. But mostly, I want my world to be a little bit bigger.” She then switched gears with another joke. “I think the better question is, ‘why are you so apprehensive about leaving?’”

Brody laughed. “Okay, you got me. Now shut up and drive to Tooele!” he said.

Tooele, of course, was where the Buick was. It was a 45-minute drive away, but that just gave them more time to talk. Usually, their conversations were lighthearted and fun, talking about board games or their favorite TV shows. Today, however, Amna had something else on her mind.

“Brody, can I ask you a question?” she said cautiously.

“Sure,” said Brody, caught slightly off guard.

“Do you believe in the Mormon church?” she asked.

Brody felt a lump form in his throat. He thought back to all family scripture studies, all the youth activities, and all the hours of church he had been to over the years. He thought about the confusion and anger that he’d felt at things he’d seen or heard over the years but hadn’t understood. He didn’t know how to answer Amna’s question, because he really didn’t know the answer himself. The church was _familiar_ – it was what he knew, and it was what his whole family had impressed upon him. At the same time, when he thought about the conversations he’d had with his family, this familiar thing seemed so _alien_ to him.

He said the only thing that came to mind. “I have no idea,” he admitted.

Amna looked at him quizzically. “How can you not know? You’ve been going for almost 18 years.”

Brody sighed. “These disagreements with my parents have made me realize that I’ve been doing a lot of things only out of habit, or because I’m going along with what they want, or because I want to live up to Jackson.”

“Brody, you have to live your own life. You can’t make all your decisions based on what your parents will think. And I’d take you over Jackson any day of the week, so I hate it when you compare yourself to him,” said Amna, now looking concerned.

“Thank you, Amna,” said Brody, smiling again. “How about you? Do you believe in the church?”

Amna paused for a second. “I don’t think I do, and I’ll tell you the reasons why.”

The rest of the drive went by quickly as Amna explained to Brody the faith crisis she was going through. Brody nodded and occasionally interjected his own thoughts, but mostly just listened and reflected on her words. By the end of the drive, he was deep in thought and wished they had several more hours to discuss things.

The station wagon was on a decrepit farm on the outskirts of Tooele. The car itself was a behemoth, a relic of a bygone era where everything seemed to be bigger. One headlight was cracked, the paint was chipped, and the wood paneling on the sides was faded. When they fired the ancient machine up and pulled it out of the weeds for a test drive, every part felt like it was creaking or whining. The old man selling it wasn’t interested in their story and repeatedly called them Brady and Anna, but he accepted their money nonetheless.

Amna got back in her father’s car to drive home, which left Brody to take the Buick wagon on its maiden voyage back to Salt Lake City. The car steered like a boat and accelerated like a golf cart. The interior smelled of motor oil, and someone had long since removed the stereo. The old 455ci V8 – the exact specifications of which he’d read on the Internet – moaned as Brody brought the old car up to freeway speed. He and Amna had spent $1,500, but Brody could tell they would have to spend much, much more to get it reliable enough for road trips.

He loved it more than he had ever loved anything before.


End file.
